Guqin

What is today usually called the Guqin was generally in the past called simply the Qin. It is the most revered of all Chinese music instruments, one of the few played today known to have originated amongst the Han Chinese. It is said to have been invented by one of the earliest legendary emperors, and its appearance has hardly changed over the centuries.

Throughout recorded history the Guqin was the chosen instrument of the Chinese scholars, played for personal enjoyment and self-cultivation. It was one of the scholars' Four Treasures, the others being Weiqi, Calligraphy and Painting.

Qin music has a wide range of themes and can evoke a variety of images: an idyllic past, the enjoyment of friendship, sadness at separation, happiness of a society with upright rulers, misery when correct principles are not followed, the beauties of nature, escape from the ordinary routines of society, etc.

The demise of the scholars as a class led to a considerable decrease in the number of players and in the size of the active repertoire. Then after 1949 its inescapable association with the scholar class put it in a precarious position. This was particularly true during the Cultural Revolution. The Guqin as an instrument of self-cultivation was not emphasized. Instead it came to be described as a folk instrument.

Today almost all players use metal strings, developed since 1949 and symbolizing the Guqin's transition into a performance instrument, in which form it is currently making a comeback.

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